The Place the Lord Promised—A Reason for Writers Not to Lose Heart

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us (Numbers 10:29).

I stood staring out across sand and pebbles for miles. A narrow slip of water disrupted the desert landscape about halfway across the vista. I was standing in the footsteps of Moses on Mount Nebo in modern-day Jordan, looking out across the Jordan River to the Promised Land.

The way to the promised land is a wilderness, folks. It does not look hospitable. The one visible road was a veritable Z on repeat, making jagged zags down the mountainside right to the valley.

Later that day we drove the distance. Dust flew before us in spontaneous whirlwinds while clouds of sand rose behind us. Heat oozed from the ground distorting our vision. Occasionally we passed small stone shelters but not a soul was in sight.

The Jordan River was a trickle. As I exited our vehicle and reverently put my hand in its shallow waters, I tried to imagine the Levitical priests stepping out, bearing God’s presence while the people of Israel followed behind in hope. 

Where are you on the Way today, writer?

Perhaps you are racing across the Red Sea on dry land, watching in awe as God destroys your enemies behind you, setting you free to write that book. Your journey to the Promised Land is just beginning.

Maybe you are trudging through the inhospitable land of submissions, wondering when you’ll find shelter. You are too far in to turn back now!

Have you reached the Jordan River, only to find the threshold of book publication you imagined to be so grand is actually just one more practical step in a long, hard journey?

A day is coming when we will gather around the Lord’s table and celebrate this wilderness journey. Until then, we press on. Make sure you stop regularly along the Way and talk with Him for a while. You are not alone on this journey. There is no better relief for a weary traveler than a fireside chat with the Lord. You will rise with new strength, new words, and new resolve. 

We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us! Don’t lose heart, writer. 

Lord, keep my eyes fixed on the horizon of Your promises. Amen.

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Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: BARNES & NOBLE, BOOKS A MILLION, AMAZON.